WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has confirmed that Washington, D.C., will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw this December. The announcement is an important step in preparations for what is expected to be the largest World Cup in history.
It was confirmed that the ceremony will take place on December 5 at the Kennedy Centre in the US city.
In what he called a “war on woke” culture, Donald Trump recently made the Kennedy Centre in the US city his personal headquarters. That’s where the draw for the 48-team football championship will take place.
At the White House Oval Office, Trump made the news. He was accompanied by Gianni Infantino, the head of FIFA. “It’s the biggest, probably the biggest event in sports,” he said.
Next year, the United States, Canada, and Mexico will host the 2026 World Cup. Trump has made a big deal about the championship happening while he is president.
Infantino came to the news with the World Cup and even let Trump touch it. He is friendly with Trump and has built a relationship with him.
“Only the winner, the president of FIFA, and the presidents of the countries that fought can touch it. It’s only for winners.” “Since you won, you can touch it too,” Infantino said.
Trump, who won a second term as president last year, asked, “Can I keep it?” as he lifted the prize with both hands.
“That gold piece is lovely.”
Although Trump seemed to be laughing, the FIFA Club World Cup trophy, which is separate from the one he lifted, remains in the Oval Office despite Chelsea winning it in New Jersey over a month ago.
A Historic Tournament Across Three Nations
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first-ever edition co-hosted by three countries — the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The tournament will also expand to 48 teams, making it the biggest football spectacle to date.
Washington Chosen as Draw Venue
By selecting Washington as the host city for the World Cup draw, the organisers have highlighted the capital’s symbolic importance.
The event will bring together global football officials, team representatives, and international media, officially setting the stage for the tournament.
President Trump’s Remarks
President Trump welcomed FIFA’s decision and expressed his confidence in America’s ability to host the landmark event successfully.
He described the World Cup as an opportunity to showcase “unity, sportsmanship, and the spirit of competition”, while also boosting tourism and economic activity across North America.
Countdown to December
Football fans worldwide will be eagerly watching this December as the draw determines the group-stage matchups that could define the early drama of the tournament.
We expect the event to generate massive global viewership, reflecting the growing popularity of football in North America.
Global Anticipation
As the world counts down to 2026, the focus is not only on the matches themselves but also on the logistical and cultural significance of a World Cup spread across three nations.
Washington’s hosting of the draw adds further prestige to the United States’ role as the primary host nation.
Putin “might come or might not come.”
There was a nervous moment when Trump seemed to drop the World Cup before putting it on his desk. Infantino reached out to support it.
Later, Infantino gave the US leader a giant ticket to the World Cup final on July 19 at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which is just outside of New York. The ticket was in Row 1, Seat 1.
Trump also said that Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, might go to the World Cup.
Trump showed a picture that he said Putin had sent him after their meeting last week in Alaska.
He said that the leader of the Russian government “wants to be there very badly,” but that he “may be coming, and he may not,” based on how the peace talks in Ukraine go.
As Trump was taking office in 2018, the United States was chosen to co-host the 2026 World Cup. He lost to Joe Biden in 2020, but he won a second term last year.
Trump has made it hard for people to enter the US, but he said it would be “very easy” for most World Cup fans to get a ticket.
Trump said that visiting from some countries would be “obviously a little bit harder.” He has banned all tourists from 12 countries, such as Afghanistan, Haiti, and Iran.
The “Trump-Kennedy Centre”
Some say that the World Cup draw was going to happen in Las Vegas, but the new location has more to do with politics.
The Kennedy Centre, which is named after the late Democratic president John F. Kennedy, was taken over by Trump earlier this year because he thought it had become too “woke”.
“Some people refer to it as the Trump-Kennedy Centre, but we’re not prepared to adopt that name just yet.” “We might make the announcement in a week or so,” he stated during his announcement on Friday.
Trump went to the Kennedy Centre right before making news on Friday in the Oval Office. He announced his intention to “beautify” the Kennedy Centre by implementing significant changes, such as encasing it in marble.
The US president also praised a big effort to fight federal crime in Washington, D.C., which has put US National Guard troops on the streets of the city.
Trump said that the move would make Washington safer for football fans who come to the city for the event next year.